Participate with SAE

Donate

BOILING HEAT TRANSFER IN A ZERO GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT 640238

A vehicle propellant tank in space receives thermal radiation from the sun and/or other space bodies. If the temperature of the propellant is below the equilibrium radiation temperature of the outer tank skin, there is a flow of heat into the propellant. With continued heating, liquid boiling might occur at the tank wall. In the absence of buoyancy forces the normal convection flow of the bubbles from the tank wall is eliminated and an interference with the boiling phenomena is anticipated.

An experimental and theoretical study of bubble migration and the attendant boiling heat transfer was made. Analysis of the various forces acting on the bubble, and experiments in both normal and zero gravity environments were made.

On the basis of analysis and experiment, it was concluded that under certain conditions the vapor produced at a tank wall would remain on or near the wall.